Coupling for traction-engines.



No. 854,196. PATBNTED MAY'21, 1907.

' w. P. BROWN.

COUPLING FOR TRACTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 27, 1904.

THE NORRIS PETERS cw, WASHINGTON, n. cy

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER F. BROWN, OF NEWTON, IOWA, ASSIGNOR TO FRED L. MAYTAG, OF

" NEWTON, IOWA.

COUPLING FOR TRACTION-ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 21, 1907.

T at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER F. BROWN, a citizen of the United States, residing at New ton, in the county of Jasper and State of Iowa, have invented a certain new and useful Ooupler for Traction-Engines, of which the following is a specification.

The objects of my invention are to provide a coupling for traction engines of simple, durable and inexpensive construction in which the parts are so arranged as to be adapted for quick coupling and uncoupling.

A further object is to provide a mechanism for supporting the tongue so that it will be easily directed into the mouth of the draw head without the necessity of raising or lowering it while coupling.

A further object is to provide a coupler in which the draw head is capable of slight lateral movement in use.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which a Figure 1 is a sectional, longitudinal view of the draw head showing the coupling bar and a portion of the tongue with the means for supporting the same. Fig. 2 is a sectional view looking at the draw head from above with the upper portion of the draw head removed so as to see the interior of it.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, I have used the reference numeral to indicate the engine to which my coupler is designed to be attached by means of the link 11, having the bifurcated portion 12 at its rear end in which openings are provided to ceive a coupling pin 13 which secures the draw head to the link 10. The draw head 14 has the flaring lips 15, 16, 17 and 18 and also has the body portion 19 through which the bifurcated portion 12 of the link 10 extends and in which there are two openings through which the coupling pin 13 is placed to secure the link 10 to the draw head 14.

At the rear portion of the'flaring lip 17, a coupling shoulder 20 is formed having the inclined portion 21 nearest the body portion 19 of the draw head. This inclined portion 21 is designed to be engaged by an inclined portion on the coupling bar and is thus made so that the coupling bar can be removed from the draw head when the locking mechanism has been thrown out of engagement with the draw head.

Extending across the upper portion of the draw head and in a curved portion22 which is immediately adjacent to the inner end of the flaring lip 18 is a shaft 23 having the locking pawl 24 on that portion of it which is between the inner sides of the draw head. Mounted on one end of the shaft 23 is a spring 25 which is connected at one end with the shaft 23 and its other end with the draw head, so arranged so as to normally hold the shaft in position where the pawl 24 will stand vertically, that is, the free end of the pawl will be immediately beneath the shaft 23. Mounted on the other end of the shaft 23 is a lever 26 which is normally held in engagement with the lug 27 on the draw head by means of the spring 25, that is, the lever 26 will be in engagement with the lug 27 when the pawl 24 is at its normal or locked position. The body portion 19 of the draw-head is rounded directly over the pawl 24 in such manner as to receive and fit the upper rounded portion of said pawl. It is also shaped as to limit the forward movement of the lower end of the pawl beyond a vertical line and to permit the pawl to incline rearwardly and downwardly far enough to allow the coupling bar 34, hereinafter described, to pass in or out of the draw-head without engagingsaid pawl.

Attached to the free end of the lever 26 is a releasing rod 28 which is designed to be operated to release the pawl 24 from its locked position and to move the pawl to a rearwardly and downwardly inclined position. Any suitable mechanism is provided for operating this releasing rod conveniently, but as there are various devices for this purpose, I do not I deem it necessary to further describe or show these mechanisms. For the sake of convenience, I have termed. the shaft 23, the pawl 24, the spring 25, the lever 26 and the releasing rod 28, the locking mechanism of my device. 1

Attached to each side of the body portion 19 of the draw head and connected with the rear of the engine or other device is a spring 29 which is designed to normally hold the draw head in a central position Where it is best adapted for use in coupling and uncoupling, and yet these springs will allow for a slight lateral play of the draw head. If the coupling bar strikes either of the flaring lips 15 or 16 of the draw head it will swing on the coupling pin 13. In securing the springs to the draw head, I have provided a lug 30 on each side of the draw head over which a hook 31 is passed to which the springs are connected. The outer end of the lug is screw threaded and a nut 32 is placed thereon to hold the hooks on the lug.

Attached to the tongue 33 of the device to which the engine is to be coupled is a coupling bar 34 having aca'tch 35 at its forward end with an inclined surface on that portion of it which is nearest the tongue 33. The in clined portion 21 of the shoulder 20 is en gaged by the catch 35 when the coupling bar is locked within the draw head by means of the locking mechanism.

Extending through the tongue and the coupling bar is an eye bolt 36 with" its eye below the tongue 33. Pivotally mounted in the eye of the eye bolt 36 is the supporting rod 37. The lower end of'which is designed to rest upon the ground and support the tongue. This rod is of sufficient length to maintain the tongue and coupling bar in a position where it will most readily enter the mouth of the draw head.

I11 practical use and assuming that the tongue 33 and the coupling bar 34 supported by the supporting rod 37 and the engine is moved to position where the coupling bar will enter the mouth of the draw head, it will be seen that as the movement of the engine is continued toward the coupling bar, the outer end of the coupling bar will engage the lower end of the pawl 24 and will force the lower end of the pawl away from the mouth of the draw head and the catch 35 will move to the position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings and the spring 25 will then force the pawl into the position shown in Fig. 1 and the draw head is coupled to the coupling bar. When it is desired to release the coupling bar, the shaft on which thepawl is mounted is swung by operating the releasing rod so that its lower end is away from the mouth of the draw head and as soon as the engine and the device to which it is attached are separated, the coupling bar will be easily thrown out of engagement with the draw head on account of the construction of the catch 35 and the inclined portion of the shoulder 20 and as soon as the releasing rod is released, the pawl 24 will be forced back to its normal position. The lower end of the pawl 24 is flattened so as to make a sul'licient bearing for the upper portion of the coupling bar.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, therefor is 1. In a coupler, the combination of a drawbar fixed to a support, a'draw-head having an opening at its rear to receive the draw-bar pivotally and detachably connecting said parts, said draw-head formed with lugs at its rear corners, links detachably connected with said lugs and contractible coil springs attached to the links and also attached to the same support as the draw-head.

2. In a coupler, a draw-head formed with a draw-bar cavity, a transverse shoulder formed at the bottom of the cavity, a pawl in the cavity extended transversely above the shoulder capable of limited movement from a downwardly inclined position over the shoulder to a rearwardly inclined position and a spring tending to force the pawl to its downwardly inclined position.

3. In a coupler, a draw-head formed with a draw-bar cavity, a transverse shoulder formed at the bottom of the cavity, a pawl in the cavity extended transversely above the shoulder capable of limited movement from a downwardly inclined position over the shoulder to a rearwardly inclined position and a spring tending to force the pawl to its downwardly inclined position, the forward face of the pawl inclined rearwardly and downwardly when at its forward limit of movement.

4. In a coupler, a draw-head formed with a draw-bar cavity, a transverse shoulder formed at the bottom of the cavity, a pawl in the cavity extended transversely above the shoulder capable of limited movement from a downwardly inclined position over the shoulder to a rearwardly inclined position, a spring tending to force the pawl to its downwardly inclined position and a coupling bar having a shoulder on its under surface to en gage the shoulder in the draw-head and a flat top surface to be engaged by said pawl.

WALTER F. BROWN.

IVitnesses:

W. R. LANE, S. F. Or-rnrsTY. 

